It was in May 1919 when the NC-4 made that first transatlantic crossing… One of three that made the attempt together.

They went from Rockaway, Long Island, New York to Halifax, Nova Scotia… then started the crossing to the Azores. 1,200 nautical miles. NC-1 and NC-3 didn't make it all the way. (NC-2 had been cannibalized for parts before they left.)

The NC-4 finally reached Lisbon, Portugal on May 27, 1919…. 19 days. Only 16 years after that first flight by the Wright Brothers!

That was pretty remarkable. Great strides in aviation.

The Early Years of Naval Aviation

OK, but why would you go for only one plane! Let's look at some of the early planes that they have at the Naval Aviation Museum.

The Curtiss A-1 Triad was the U.S. Navy’s first plane. Glenn Curtiss IS considered the father of naval aviation after all. The A-1 had retractable landing gear so it could operate from land, sea and air… a triad, eh?

The Vought VE-7 was used on early aircraft carriers... making the first ever take-off from a U.S. carrier (the Langley (CV-1)) on Oct 17, 1922. Some were later delivered with floats.

Most Tommys were delivered to the Army with wheels. The Navy had some which were delivered as S-5s because there were fitted with wooden floats. Those floats were a little ungainly… and had to be emptied of water on the ground after each flight! The Naval Aviation Museum displays theirs with the floats as the Thomas Morse S-5.

Boeing built planes for the Navy? You may know this little gem as the P-12… that’s the Army designation. The Navy version… this Boeing F4B-4 was built for carrier operation.

The Curtiss N2C Fledgling is an example of different versions that were used primarily as trainers. In the 1930s some were equipped for radio control. The Naval Aviation Museums site says… “One drone was used to execute an attack on a target ship, a precursor of today's anti-ship missiles.”

Part of the Curtiss “Hawk series”, the Curtiss F6C-1 was one of the earliest aircraft with an airframe strong enough for steep dives. Because of that it served a role in developing the tactic of dive bombing. Other aircraft of this type were fitted with tailhooks and designed F6C-2.

The Curtiss-Wright BFC-2 Goshawk is another in the Hawk series of dive bombers. One fact that I find interesting… this plane had an unusual half canopy because pilots of that era disliked closed canopies.

Though the Martin AM-1 Mauler carried a 10,689 pound load aloft setting an unofficial record for a single-engine aircraft… the aircraft type had many technical problems and its career was short-lived.

It had a tendency to bounce on carrier landings… causing the tailhook to miss the arresting wires...

Navy pilots just don’t like that!

The Douglas Skyraider, which was developed at the same time, won this battle… the Naval Aviation Museum does have a Skyraider… but you’ve seen one haven’t you? Have you ever seen a Mauler? Only four are thought to still exist and this may be the only one on display.

And a real experimental one…

The Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak was a single engine turbojet-powered aircraft that took off from the ground under its own power. They were built to explore transsonic and supersonic flight. Only three were built. One eventually reached Mach .99 in level flight… only flying supersonic in a dive.

The record was quickly overshadowed by Chuck Yeager and the Bell X-1 which was the first to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947.

The Skystreak did perform a role in aeronautical research by flying for extended periods of time at transsonic speeds. The X-1 flew only limited periods of time at supersonic speeds…

Banshee... The official nickname of the McDonnell F2H-4 came about because the engines “screamed like a banshee”.

The Demon was the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation’s first swept wing aircraft. There were many troubles with the aircraft, but it provided the basis for the development of the F-4 Phantom II. One of only 3 surviving McDonnell F3H-2M Demon.

And of course… The Blue Angels

These are the A-4 Skyhawks that the Blue Angles flew between 1974 and 1986. Three of these aircraft were part of the demonstration team… all four flew in Vietnam.

How To Visit

The National Naval Aviation Museum is located at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.

Admission and parking are free.

Hours: Open daily from 9 am to 5 pm except for the US holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Be advised: Because you’re entering a Naval Air Station, all visitors 16 and older must present valid identification for entry to the air station.

Facilities: There is a cafe that is open around lunch time. The store is open pretty much when the museum is. And of course, there are plenty of restrooms. All are handicap accessible.

Tours: You may tour the museum on your own or take a guided tour. Guided tours are available for free and are guided by retired military volunteers. The museum has a self guided tour for those who want to download it.

Flight Line Trolley Tours: In addition to the planes displayed in the buildings, there are about 50 on display outside. You can see these with a free 20 minute tour on a flight line trolley. If you want to do this, get your free tickets early… the last time we went, we didn’t and the tickets for that day were already gone.

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